Monthly Archives: November 2017

BECKERMAN: “Washington State is a long time leader in driving the evolution of the internet economy, and we’re excited to expand our presence there.”

Washington, DC – Internet Association announced today that Rose Feliciano joined the organization as its Manager, State Government Affairs, Northwest Region. Rose will lead Internet Association’s new office in Seattle, WA and is responsible for the Northwest region of the U.S. Seattle is IA’s fourth office, which expands its ability to advocate for the internet economy in state and local markets.

“Washington State is a long time leader in driving the evolution of the internet economy, and we’re excited to expand our presence there,” said Michael Beckerman, President & CEO of Internet Association. “Rose has the policy experience, background, and local knowledge necessary to cultivate a strong internet business environment in the state. There’s no better fit to represent IA in the region and help our member companies navigate the evolving policy environment in the Evergreen State.”

Feliciano joins the Internet Association after leading government relations for the City of Seattle in various capacities for 15 years. Prior to her time at the City, she served as a Special Assistant to Governor Gary Locke. Feliciano graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and enjoys endurance running in her free time.

The internet sector is 6 percent of U.S. GDP and employs nearly 3 million Americans, including nearly 90,000 jobs in Washington State. The state ranks second in the nation for ease of doing internet business according to new IA research released in August 2017.

“Washington State is one of the nation’s leading tech hubs and was the birthplace for some of America’s greatest internet companies,” said Feliciano. “I look forward to working with state lawmakers and city officials to ensure Washington continues to serve this important role by fostering a robust internet sector in order to attain the incredible economic growth that comes with it.”

Feliciano will report to Robert Callahan, who leads advocacy in western states for IA.

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BECKERMAN: “Mike brings both the relevant policy expertise and Capitol Hill insight needed to articulate the internet ecosystem’s unique value as the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy.”

Washington, DC – Internet Association announced today that Michael Lemon joined the organization as Director of Government Affairs & Counsel. Lemon comes to IA from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee where he spent six years working on tech-related policy issues including intellectual property, privacy, and immigration.

“Mike brings both the relevant policy expertise and Capitol Hill insight needed to articulate the internet ecosystem’s unique value as the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy,” said Internet Association President & CEO Michael Beckerman. “He will be an invaluable addition to the team as we work to advance policies that foster growth for the digital economy, benefit consumers, and create jobs.”

As Director of Government Affairs & Counsel, Lemon will work to educate lawmakers on key issues facing internet companies and push for policies that facilitate the continued growth of the free and open internet. Specifically, he will work on issues including intellectual property, privacy, and intermediary liability.

Prior to joining IA, Lemon served as the Senior Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he developed legislative strategies on privacy and data security matters, advised Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) on issues like immigration, and regularly compiled communications materials to support the committee’s work. While there, Lemon managed the floor procedure and final passage of the USA FREEDOM Act, a privacy bill that ended bulk collection of telephone records by the National Security Agency (NSA).

“We’re excited to add Mike to our expanding federal government affairs team,” said Melika Carroll, Internet Association Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs. “His perspective will be invaluable in advocating for a balanced copyright system, strong intermediary liability protections, and other key issues before Congress and the administration.”

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BECKERMAN: “Chairman Pai’s proposal, if implemented, represents the end of net neutrality as we know it…”

Washington, DC – Internet Association President & CEO Michael Beckerman issued the following statement on the announcement of Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to gut net neutrality protections:

“Chairman Pai’s proposal, if implemented, represents the end of net neutrality as we know it and defies the will of millions of Americans who support the 2015 Open Internet Order. This proposal undoes nearly two decades of bipartisan agreement on baseline net neutrality principles that protect Americans’ ability to access the entire internet.

“The 2015 Order created bright-line, enforceable net neutrality protections that guarantee consumers access to the entire internet and preserve competition online. This proposal fails to achieve any of these objectives. Consumers have little choice in their ISP, and service providers should not be allowed to use this gatekeeper position at the point of connection to discriminate against websites and apps.

“Internet Association and our members will continue our work to ensure net neutrality protections remain the law of the land.”

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San Francisco – Internet Association today announced the launch of the official IA Snapchat account ahead of its annual Virtuous Circle Summit. The account will feature highlights and behind-the-scenes footage from from the conference, and moving forward will feature conversations with policymakers, executives, and tech movers and shakers.

To follow, click here or use the Snapcode below:

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Washington, DC — Internet Association President & CEO Michael Beckerman issued the following statement in support of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) compromise:

“Internet Association is committed to combating sexual exploitation and sex trafficking online and supports SESTA. Important changes made to SESTA will grant victims the ability to secure the justice they deserve, allow internet platforms to continue their work combating human trafficking, and protect good actors in the ecosystem.”

“Internet Association thanks cosponsors Sen. Portman and Sen. Blumenthal for their careful work and bipartisan collaboration on this crucially important topic and Chairman Thune  and Ranking Member Nelson for their leadership of the Commerce Committee. We look forward to working with the House and Senate as SESTA moves through the legislative process to ensure that our members are able to continue their work to fight exploitation.”

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